Nut-lock.



Patented Dec. 17, mm. H. J. BUEILL.

NUT LUCK.

{Apphcation filed Feb. 25 1899.\

(No man.)

WITNESSES:

UNITE @TATES a*rnn*r FFIClE.

HARRY J. BUELL, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO I-IIRAM NORRIS ANDALICE O. BRADSIIAIV, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA,

AND GEORGE \V. IIARROD.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,036, dated December17, 1901.

Application filed February 25, 1899, berial No 706,796, (No model.)

the interlocking forms of washers and pawls, I

whereby the screw-nutmaybe preventedfrom being accidentally reversed andloosened on the threads of bolts to which it may be applied, the devicesbeing particularly applicable to railway-joint bolt-nuts.

The object of the invent-ion is to so construct devices of thischaracter as to he efficient Without requiring constant care, reliableand durable, and which may be cheaply produced.

The invention consists in improvements in the forms and application ofthe ratchet-teeth 011 the main washer, in the forms of the pawls on thesecondary washer, and in the application of the pawls to theratchet-teeth.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the mainwasher constructed substantially according to my invention by which thenut is to be locked by means of a secondary washer having a pawl Fig. 2,a perspective View of the secondary washer having two pawls forengagement with the main washer and also having flanges to engage thenut; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the secondary washer, showing thetwisted pawls thereof; Fig. 4, a bottom plan of the secondary washer;Fig. 5, a side view of a nut to which the secondary washer is connected;Fig. 6, a central sectional view of the main washer; Fig. 7, afragmentary side elevation of a railway-rail near a joint, showing ajoint bolt and nut and also asplice-bar to which the invention isapplied as in operation; and Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical sectionalview showing the rail, splice-bars, joint-bolt and nut, and thenut-locking washers all in 0perativo positions connected together.

washer A, having a central bolt-hole, has.

also a rounded outer corner at the outer face thereof, being in contoura substantially quarter-round corner between the outer face and theperiphery thereof, and this corner is provided with ratchet-teeth, as B,extending in a circular continuous row of teeth, the operative faces aof the teeth being in lines radiating from the bolt-hole in the washer.The teeth therefore are partly at the front or outer face, project fromthe periphery, and project partly from the intervening corner betweenthe face and the periphery of the washer, extending transversely acrossthe periphery nearly or quite to the rear face of the washer. The outerand the rear faces of the washer are parallel and planes except asaltered by the teeth, and the washer is suitably adapted to be securedtoan adjacent or a contiguous object, whereby it may be prevented fromrotating about the bolt on which it may be placed. For certain uses thewasher has a lip b.

The secondary washer C, having a central bolt-hole, is a thinrectangular metal plate, preferably composed of soft spring-steelcapable of being cold-pressed, and it is adapted to lie flatwise againstthe main washer and also to be suitably connected to a screw-nut, as byflanges d, and to be turned thereby about the bolt to which it may beapplied between the nut and the main washer. The secondary washer O isprovided with one or more peculiarly-formed integral spring-pawls D,extending from the body of the Washer radially and projecting beyond thenut to which it is designed to be applied. The pawl is of thin flatmetal and about equal in width to the space between the operative facesof two adjacent teeth on the main washer A, and the extremity of thepawl is twisted axially and bent over the corner of the front face ofthe main Washer, so as to form a curve corresponding to the curvature ofthe backs of the teeth, the advancing edge e of the pawl as it swingsradially being curved in a longer radius than is the following edge It,

that is designed to spring down at the fronts of the operative faces aof the teeth and be caught thereby against retraction. Thus theelasticity of the pawl is exercised in both longitudinal and transversedirections thereof, and While stiff and reliable will easily be forcedto ride over the teeth of the main washer when tightening the nut on thebolt, but cannot be retracted or reversed except by forcibly releasingthe pawl from a tooth by means of a prying implement.

thereon so that the teeth thereof will show at the front. Then thesecondary washer B may be placed upon the bolt or it may be connected tothe nut F for the bolt, and as the nut is screwed down or home in theusual manner the pawls D will be 7 brought into contact with and firstride the sloping backs of the teeth B until the nut may be tight, whenthe following edge of the pawl will spring into engagement with theacute-angled operative face a of a tooth, and thereby be prevented frombeing reversed and preventing the nut from being reversed in motion, andshould jarring cause the nut to become very slightly loose and tend tounscrew it from the bolt the pawl will thereby be forced into closerengagement with the tooth by reason of the twisted form of its extremityand the more effectually preventing further rotation of the nut.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. -In a nut-look, a washer havingarounded outer corner at the periphery thereof provided with projectingteeth extending radially across the rounded corner and also projectingfrom the periphery of the washer, means for preventing rotation of thewasher, a pawl op erating in connection with said teeth, and means forconnecting the pawl with a nut, in combination with the bolt and the nuthaving screw-threads operating together.

2. In a nut-lock, a secondary washer provided with. a pawl havingparallel flat faces projecting therefrom and twisted axially and bentover at its extremity so that its advance edge in operation shall becurved in a longer radius than that of its following edge, means wherebysaid washer may be connected with a bolt-nut for operating the pawl, anda fixed main washer having ratchet-teeth operating with said pawl, incombination with the bolt and the nut having screw-threads operatingtogether.

3. In a nut-lock, the combination of the bolt and the nut operatingtogether, the main washer having the rounded outer corner at theperiphery thereof provided with projecting teeth extending across therounded corner and also projecting from the periphery of the washer,means for preventing rotation of said washer, the secondary washerprovided with a pawl having parallel flat faces projecting therefrom andtwistedaxially and bent over at its extremity so that its advance edgein operation shall be curved to conform to the longer radius of thehigher part of one of said teeth and so that its following edge shall becurved to conform to the shorter radius of the lower portion of the backof one of said teeth, and means whereby said secondary washer may beconnected to the nut whereby to operate said pawl in connection withsaid teeth, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 13th day ofJanuary, A. D. 1899.

HARRY J. BUELL. [n s.]

lVitnesses:

J. R. RoUTH, JACOB KROPP.

